The Georgia Department of Transportation warned of increased traffic on the interstate highways and state roads in the wake of Hurricane Milton’s expected late Wednesday or early Thursday morning landfall on Florida’s west Gulf coast.

The latest alert from the National Weather Service states “..MILTON REMAINS A CATASTROPHIC CATEGORY 5 HURRICANE… …FORECAST TO MAKE LANDFALL ON THE FLORIDA GULF COAST LATE TONIGHT AS A DANGEROUS MAJOR HURRICANE…”

The Georgia Department of Transportation issued the following press release late yesterday afternoon with the warnings of heavy traffic:

The Georgia Department of Transportation (Georgia DOT) is actively monitoring traffic volumes and conditions on Georgia’s interstates and state routes in preparation for Hurricane Milton as the storm approaches Florida’s west coast. Milton is expected to make landfall as a Category 5 hurricane in west central Florida in the early morning hours Thursday, October 10. Georgia’s coast is under a tropical storm watch due to expected impacts from Milton in the state, with the threat of significant rain and high winds a possibility.

As Florida residents heed evacuation orders issued in many parts of the state, Georgia’s interstates are seeing significant upticks in traffic volume – as much as four times higher than historical averages. As of 8:00 a.m. Tuesday morning, volumes on I-75 northbound were 280 percent higher than normal between the Georgia-Florida state line and Macon. And on I-95 northbound between the Georgia-Florida state line and I-16, volumes were 89 percent higher than normal. In spite of significantly higher volumes, speeds on both highways were reported as normal. 

Volumes were even higher Monday evening on both interstates, with an increase on I-75 northbound of 342 percent above normal, and 264 percent above normal on I-95 northbound. 

The I-75 South Metro Express Lanes south of metro Atlanta will continue to remain open for northbound traffic only through Tuesday, October 8 to accommodate higher northbound traffic counts from Florida residents heeding local evacuation orders. Express Lanes can be accessed by motorists using a Georgia Peach Pass, Florida Sun Pass or E-Z Pass.

In the event that motorists need emergency roadside assistance or to report a roadway incident on interstates, dial 511 and request a CHAMP or HERO operator to assist. This is a free service provided to motorists traveling within the state of Georgia. 

Georgia State parks are open for RVs and campers, so please visit gastateparks.org/Alerts for more information.  

Florida residents are advised to look ahead and plan their evacuation routes by consulting www.511ga.org. More information is also available by visiting Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security at gema.georgia.gov.

As always, Georgia DOT prepares for hurricanes and other significant events in partnership with the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency, the National Weather Service and state and local officials. With Georgia DOT crews and contractors still working along Georgia’s interstates and state routes to remove debris in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, motorists who encounter a Georgia DOT vehicle, emergency response crews or law enforcement on the roadways are advised to move over a lane and give them the space to accomplish their critically important tasks safely.
 
For more hurricane safety tips, please visit Georgia DOT’s hurricane webpage. 
 
For real-time road conditions call 511, visit 511ga.org, or update or download the newest version of the 511GA app for Apple and Android. (Previous users of My511GA will need to create a new account for My511 with the update as former login credentials will not be recognized in the new system.) to speak to an operator 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For weather information, visit the National Weather Service in Peachtree City, Georgia.